The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a stern message to Kurdish fighters in Syria, urging them to either lay down their arms or be buried alongside them.

This statement comes amid ongoing clashes between Turkish-backed Syrian factions and Kurdish fighters in the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad’s fall. Following Assad’s departure, Ankara has consistently emphasized the need to dissolve the Kurdish militia (YPG), asserting that the group has no place in Syria’s future.

“The separatist murderers will either part with their weapons or be buried in Syrian soil along with them,” Erdogan declared during a speech to lawmakers from his ruling AKP party. “We will eliminate the terrorist organization that seeks to weave a wall of blood between us and our Kurdish brothers,” he added.

Simultaneously, he announced Turkey’s intention to soon open a consulate in Aleppo.

Turkey regards the Kurdish militia (YPG), a key component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has waged a four-decade-long insurgency against the Turkish state and is classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.

President Erdogan also took another opportunity to denounce Bashar al-Assad, calling him a coward. “The Syrian people’s struggle, full of suffering, achieved victory on December 8. The regime collapsed; the coward Assad sold everyone out and fled Syria. A new chapter has now opened for this country. Turkey made the necessary interventions to prevent further bloodshed. This victory is a monumental success. The Syrian people saved their country from a slaughter network. The Syrian people are on the path to determining their future, and we are happy about it. We are pleased to see the flag of Free Syria and its crescent star in Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs. We are happy and satisfied when we look into the hopeful eyes of the oppressed Syrians,” Erdogan remarked.

In other parts of his address, Erdogan reflected on the suffering of the Syrian people in recent years, mentioning the young boy Aylan Kurdi.

“The events in Syria began on March 15, 2011, when a child was arrested, tortured, and martyred for writing something on a wall. Despite our advice, the Assad regime brutally suppressed the protests. Although it was possible to end the conflict, he continued to oppress his people. Syria has been dragged into enormous chaos with over 13 years of massacres. Cities, villages, and historical artifacts were bombarded. Nearly a million of our brothers and sisters were martyred, either by the regime’s massacres or terrorist attacks. More than 12 million Syrians were displaced from their homes and homeland. Of these displaced people, 3.6 million sought refuge in our country. Some who took to the roads to save their lives and build a safe life for their families drowned. Some were left to die in the middle of the sea. We have witnessed countless atrocities that make one ashamed of humanity. How can we forget that innocent image of little Aylan, etched in our memory and hearts like a nail? How can we forget the children who died in schools reduced to rubble by barrel bombs? How can we forget the women whose purity was violated before their husbands? How can we forget the cruelty of the human filth of Shabiha? How can we forget extrajudicial executions and torture? How can we forget the civilized world’s indifference to all this? How can we forget the support given to the separatist organization under the guise of fighting ISIS? How can we forget the eclipse of logic and conscience within the opposition?” Erdogan stated.